1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to fire simulation apparatus for training fire fighters. More particularly, the invention concerns a trainer which is operable to produce an indication of a flashover.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
"Flashover" relates to the spontaneous combustion of objects and gases within a structure, which have been heated to their ignition temperature primarily due to the build up of heat by thermal radiation feedback. Radiation feed back results during a major fire due to the fact that heat from the fire is absorbed by the ceiling and walls of the structure and then is reradiated back into the room. When the ignition point is reached ignition occurs and the entire area becomes enveloped in fire. Often, flashover manifests in itself in the form of a fire ball which explodes downwardly from the ceiling of the structure and which can attain temperatures of up to 2000.degree. Fahrenheit.
In many instances, flashovers occur during the first five to ten minutes of a fire, which is generally about the time fire fighters are arriving on the scene and are commencing search and rescue efforts and are attempting to advance lines into the structure. Because of the intense heat involved and the downward explosion of the fireball, flashovers can have a profound impact in the safety of the firefighters at this particular critical time in the firefighting effort and fatalities are not uncommon. For this reason there have been a number of attempts in the art to develop realistic training programs and facilities to acquaint firefighters with the hazards of flashover and to allow them to witness first hand the tell tale indications that immediately proceed a deadly flashover occurrence.
Live firefighter training has been in existence for a number of years and several types of firefighting simulator systems have been suggested in the past. Exemplary of such systems is that described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,001,949 issued to Francis. The thrust of the Francis invention is to provide a method and system for creating realistic on-line fire responses in accordance with the accuracy of an on-line fire fighting sequence employed by a fire fighter, including the steps of dynamically simulating the occurrence of an actual fire, establishing a predetermined fire fighting sequence to be followed by the fire fighter for properly extinguishing the simulated fire, monitoring the actual on-line fire fighting sequence employed by the fire fighter in fighting the simulated fire, comparing the actual fire fighting sequence employed by the fire fighter with the predetermined proper fire fighting sequence, and providing a reaction in accordance with a correspondence between the actual on line fire fighting sequence employed by the fire fighter and the predetermined fire fighting sequence to provide realistic on-line fire responses.
Another method and apparatus for training firefighters is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,316,484 issued to Layton et al. This disclosure is somewhat more pertinent to the present invention since Layton et al suggests a system and method for providing a simulation of a flashover condition that can occur during the course of suppression of a live fire. The flashover simulation is implemented by selectively supplying and igniting fuel to an auxiliary or flashover fuel burner assembly positioned adjacent the ceiling of the burn room of a firefighter trainer. Preferably, the flashover simulation is implemented only upon attainment of a threshold value of one or more pre-selected trainer operational parameters that are monitored throughout the course of a training scenario. Preferred trainer operational parameters for such monitoring include flame height at a main burner assembly and air temperature adjacent to or near a ceiling portion of the burn room.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,518,403 issued to Luftig et al discloses a fire fighting trainer for use in training firefighters about ceiling roll over fire. The Luftig trainer includes a chamber with a ceiling and includes a burner head subassembly and includes a burner control subassembly. The burner head subassembly has a fuel gas inlet pipe and an adjacent combustion air inlet pipe to produce an air/gas mixture which creates a flame at the ceiling. The burner control subassembly selectively increases the fuel gals flow to make the produced flame have a ceiling rollover effect.
Another type of firefighting trainer is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,526,548 issued to Livingston. The Livingston inventions somewhat novel in that it concerns a mobile firefighting trailer which is provided with a plurality of rooms and passageways within which simulated furniture pieces and appliances are located.
While the prior art firefighting trainers and methods have been generally beneficial in training firefighters how to fight fires, they have not been entirely effective in providing realistic simulation of the precursors of the deadly "flashover" phenomenon which takes the lives of several firefighters each year. It is particularly this drawback of the prior art systems which the methods and apparatus of the present invention seeks to overcome.